Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has shared a touching memory of the late President Muhammadu Buhari, recalling a heartfelt appeal the former president made to him during their encounter.

Speaking at the Third Day Prayers held in Buhari’s honour, Obi revealed that during one of his campaign meetings, Buhari urged him to prioritise the welfare of the poor in Nigeria.

“I had the opportunity of meeting late Muhammadu Buhari while I was campaigning, and I remember his words till today. He said to me, ‘Please care for the poor Nigerians.’ That’s all I always remember,” Obi recounted.

Obi described the late president as a leader known for his simplicity and concern for the underprivileged, noting that Buhari lived and governed with a mindset of service to the masses.

“Buhari lived and died thinking about the poor. He believed leadership was about service to the people, especially those struggling to survive,” Obi added.

The former Anambra State governor used the occasion to call on Nigeria’s current and future leaders to embrace service and compassion as guiding principles of leadership.

“We have to all learn how to serve our country, knowing that one day, we will all be called back by our creator,” Obi said.

Buhari, who died in a London hospital after a brief illness, was laid to rest in Daura, Katsina State, in accordance with Islamic rites. The burial was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other high-profile dignitaries, and thousands of mourners who came to pay their final respects.